distribute

Verb (10)distributes, distributed, distributing

1. administer or bestow, as in small portions“administer critical remarks to everyone present”“dole out some money”“shell out pocket money for the children”“deal a blow to someone”“the machine dispenses soft drinks”Synonyms: administermete outdealparcel outlotdispenseshell outdeal outdish outallotdole outMore general giveMore specific assign, give, deal, reallot, roll out
2. distribute or disperse widely“The invaders spread their language all over the country”Synonyms: spreadOpposite collectMore general move, displaceMore specific diffuse, strew, discharge, sprawl, redistribute, emit, export, generalize, metastasize, deploy +1 more
3. release a publication“The publisher wants to distribute the book in Asia”More general transferMore specific issue, reticulate
4. give to several people“The teacher handed out the exams”Synonyms: give outhand outpass outMore general give, giftMore specific share, divvy up
5. cause to be distributed“This letter is being circulated among the faculty”Synonyms: circulatepass aroundpass onMore general move, displaceMore specific spread, send around, utter
6. cause to become widely known“spread information”“circulate a rumor”“broadcast the news”Synonyms: circulatecircularizecircularisedisseminatepropagatebroadcastspreaddiffusedispersepass aroundMore general publicize, publiciseMore specific carry, sow, popularize, podcastCauses go around, spreadSimilar go around, spread
7. spread throughout a given area“the function distributes the values evenly”
8. be distributed or spread, as in statistical analyses“Values distribute”
9. be mathematically distributive
10. to arrange in a systematic order“stagger the chairs in the lecture hall”Synonyms: stagger